


Gotcha

by fishfingersandjellybabies



Series: Red Hood!Dick AU [6]
Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-07
Updated: 2015-07-07
Packaged: 2018-04-08 00:30:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4283784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishfingersandjellybabies/pseuds/fishfingersandjellybabies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The old Grayson trick was to never have a safety net.</p>
<p>But he would always be there to be Tim and Damian's, whether they knew that or not.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gotcha

**Author's Note:**

> At some point, Dick let the older birds go back to their own apartments and get whatever necessities they wanted or needed (including staying there for a day or two). At some point he snuck back into the manor and stole some of Damian’s stuff, including his sketchbook, for him.

Damian smirked as the roof hatch beeped. He’d been trying to hack Dick’s codes for hours. He was just about to give up. Gleefully, he threw the door up, rising himself up by his arms. The cut was healing nicely, though wasn’t there all the way yet. No matter, he’d fought through pain before. He hooked his knee on the door’s corner and-

“Not so fast, Little D.” A voice hummed as two hands were suddenly under Damian’s arms, yanking him upwards. Instantly, Damian found himself thrown over a shoulder and moving away from the roof’s ledge. Damian twisted, and saw that they were heading towards the building’s legitimate roof-access door.

“Grayson, put me down right now!” He ordered. Dick just laughed.

“Not until we’re back inside.” Damian couldn’t see it, but he could hear the amusement in Dick’s voice.

“You said we would be allowed to come and go as we please!” Damian complained, as Dick paused to kick the door open. His voice echoed in the stairwell. “ _And_ you let Todd and Brown go on patrol this evening!”

“I did say that, but I meant for daylight hours, and normal things like school and work and groceries.” Dick listed, trotting down the stairs. “Also, of the four of you, Jason is currently the most healthy. And he wanted Steph there to watch his back, which was a good idea. There’s still criminals out there that need stopping. As much as I don’t like it, Jason is an adult and can make his own choices.”

“And what if they goes running back to Father?” Damian hissed, reaching – and failing – to grab the handrail they were passing. “Todd’s ridiculously loyal, you know.”

“They won’t.” The humor seemed to dissipate from Dick’s tone. “And if they do, I’ll just go get them again.”

“Anything to keep us safe from Father’s _terrible_ grasp, right?” Damian drawled, rolling his eyes as they exited the stairwell into the hallway.

“Anything.” Dick agreed, a little more seriously. They were almost to the apartment when a woman came out of her own home, smiling nicely at Dick, before noticing Damian over his shoulder. She cocked her head in question. Dick’s voice perked as he explained, “My little brother’s visiting. Likes to get himself into trouble.”

Her face changed into knowing realization, watching with a smile as Dick entered the flat.

“So, where are you sleeping tonight, kiddo?” Dick asked as the door closed. Tim looked up from his position on the couch, looking just as miserable as when Dick had gone to retrieve Damian.

“I’m not tired.” Damian pouted, attempting to cross his arms upside down.

“Too bad. You’re a growing boy, and growing boys need their sleep.” Dick chuckled. “Besides, you don’t want to end up like Tim, do you? So exhausted and sleep-deprived that your immune system gives out on you the first chance it gets?”

Tim huffed from the sofa, though with the snot clogging up his nose, it just made him sound a little more pathetic.

Damian hesitated, then mumbled. “…I’m _not_ tired.”

“Bed, then. Good choice, Damian. Probably better, in case Tim’s cold is a little contagious.” Dick announced, walking Damian to the bedroom. After he plopped Damian back onto the floor, he waited as the boy changed before pulling the covers back. Sulkily, Damian climbed onto the mattress, letting Dick cover him again. Before he could stop him, Dick leaned down and kissed his head.

Damian seemed more surprised than angry about Dick’s gesture. After a moment, he whispered. “Father doesn’t even do that.”

“I know.” Dick said sadly, moving towards the door. He flipped the light off, and put his hand on the doorknob. “Stay here this time, please? And get some sleep.”

Damian scoffed, rolling away from the door. “…Fine, whatever.”

Dick smiled and cracked the door, making note to check on him in thirty minutes. He went back out to the living room, where Tim had pulled his knees up to his chest, staring at the television blankly.

“Feeling better?” Dick asked.

“Not really.” Tim sniffed. Dick smiled, crossing the room to the closet by the front door and pulling out a blanket. Silently, he moved to the sofa, pushing at Tim’s knees gently to force him to lie back before throwing the blanket over him.

“Think you could handle some soup? I know it’s late, but it might help you sleep.” Dick suggested. Tim nodded, and he moved off to the kitchen.

After a few seconds, Tim rolled to his side, watching as Dick practically floated around the kitchen. “Why are you doing this?” he whispered. “And I don’t mean the whole… _protecting the Robins_ crusade. I mean just…just _this_. Putting Damian to bed, taking care of me…making sure you had the right ingredients to make Steph waffles this morning…”

Dick shrugged, not looking up from the stove. “It’s my job.”

“But it’s _not_.” Tim argued. “What do you get out of it?”

“I don’t know.” Dick muttered. He turned with the hot pan, pouring part of its contents into a smaller bowl. Slowly, he brought the steaming bowl over, setting it on the coffee table. After helping Tim sit up, Dick ran his fingers through Tim’s greasy hair with a smile. “But ask me again after you’re feeling better. Maybe I’ll have figured it out by then.”

**Author's Note:**

> [Other Red Hood!Dick stories.](http://fishfingersandjellybabies.tumblr.com/tagged/Redhood%21Dick+au)


End file.
